Dutch wave pool under construction in The Hague

The Dutch indoor wave pool project SurfPoel is fast under construction in The Hague and hopes to open shortly. Although we couldn’t pin down a specific launch date, from the looks of the social media feed from 24/7 waves, it looks like it won’t be long.

When completed the converted warehouse will host a hull and foil type of wave generator created by Australian Steven Schmied. For ten years Schmied developed the system which can be adjusted to produce a variety of waves.

The pool itself will be 72m long (230 feet) and 18m (60 feet) in width with a max depth of 2,5m (8 feet). The building housing the pool is a massive 2400 square meters (7,800 square feet) and will use shipping containers and a timber beach in construction.

Currently, surfers can reserve sessions starting at €60 for a one-hour slot. Prices go down if you book more than one session. A five-hour session is €250. Coaching is available for slightly more per hour. You can book here at 24/7 Waves.

Founders Jeroen den Otter and Joeri Fredriks

The Hague has a surf-stoked population and is located just a stone’s throw from the Dutch surfing capital of Scheveningen.

Last year when we spoke with Jeroen den Otter, managing director at 24/7Waves, he said The Hague was a natural choice, but finding a perfect spot was tricky.

“When searching for a suitable location for the SurfPoel there were several requirements on the list: sufficient surface area, the area around The Hague, good accessibility for both public transport and cars and a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment. All these elements came together in the former Reparco hall at the Saturnusstraat on the Binckhorst in The Hague.”

Recently we saw social media posts featuring construction equipment getting busy at Surf Poel. We reached out to find out how much further they have to go until we see waves roll through the converted building.

The warehouse gets leveled for the wave pool.

We saw an Instagram post of a truck unloading something, what’s it doing? We’ve officially started the building process and this truck and some others that followed delivered the first materials.

What happens next in creating the Netherlands’ first wave pool? We are working on the construction of the wave pool itself over the next few months. Behind the scenes, we are working hard on all the technical details and systems required to run it, but also to manage it in regards to people coming to surf it in the future.

Share with us an unexpected challenge you’ve discovered and had to deal with. Big building projects always bring challenges and unexpected twists and turns. Making sure everything is lined up properly, from timely processes around permits from the city council (who have been a great supporter!) to actual trucks being schedule to bring in the materials is a dynamic process. Being stoked ourselves doesn’t always line up with other businesses being ready at the same time.

How will SurfPoel work? Private Club? Open to the Public? The SurfPoel is partly an R&D facility, partly a semi-private club. People who’d like to come surf can buy surfing hours now through the crowdfunding page, which will be open until we officially open. Before we open, everyone who has participated in the crowdfunding and has purchased surf hours will be able to book in their surf spot through a dedicated section on our website that’s only accessible to them.